The Best Hair Straightener

Top pick

A standout straightener at a jaw-dropping price

Remington Shine Therapy Flat Iron

In price-concealed testing, panelists overwhelmingly favored this fast-acting flat iron. The lightweight tool is easy to wield, though some testers wished it were sturdier.

$34 from Amazon

$34 from Walmart

At Wirecutter, few things make us happier than when the most affordable option distinguishes itself as the top performer during price-concealed testing. And that’s exactly how things went down with the Remington Shine Therapy Flat Iron, which panelists loved for its handy size, intuitive interface, and — most important — speedy straightening powers.

It quickly straightened all kinds of hair. The Remington iron transformed thick, textured coils and thin, wavy stands into sleek, smooth swaths. “This was like magic,” said one tester with thick, shoulder-length 3C-curly hair. “It took only a few passes at the 425 [°F] setting to make each section completely straight.” (That same tester found that even at 450 °F, other contenders, like the CHI Lava and the GVP, needed more passes to get hair as straight, and those tools left far-less-satiny results.)

There are some helpful bells and whistles. The Remington iron usually costs about $30, but it boasts the same types of features as models that run north of $200: nine heat settings, ranging from 300 °F to 450 °F; a large, easy-to-read backlit graphic display; and an audible on/off chime (which several testers appreciated).

It’s thoughtfully designed and easy to control. The iron itself is small and nimble, with 1-by-4-inch ceramic plates that glide through longer sections and easily and smoothly grab baby hairs along edges and at the nape of the neck. The tool’s narrow, slightly rounded overall shape created loose curls and beachy waves (though not as well as the BabylissPro Prima). “It’s so impressive when it comes to function,” said one tester with long, wavy, color-treated hair who previously had a long-standing loyalty to the much-pricier CHI G2. “It left my hair so smooth, silky, and shiny.”

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The plastic housing feels a bit rinky-dink. If you squint, the Remington Shine Therapy Flat Iron could be the $140 CHI Lava’s twin. And even though they weigh about the same (9 ounces), the Lava still feels more substantial when you hold it. “The Remington is lightweight, which is nice, but it feels cheap in my hand,” one tester said. What’s more, some panelists found that until they had more practice using the tool and could fine-tune where to hold it, the clamp mechanism pinched their palms.

Its heat lock is confusing. The iron has a lock, which can prevent the user from accidentally changing the temperature from the side controls. But it’s confusing to use: To lock in the temperature, you have to press the minus button for two seconds, and to unlock it, you press the plus button for another two seconds. Yet none of our testers found this to be intuitive.

Specs

Heat range: 300 °F to 450 °F, nine settings

Cord length: 9 feet, swivel base

Auto-off feature: yes

Dual voltage: yes

A unique silhouette with long, angled plates

Bio Ionic 10X Styling Iron

This tool’s thin barrel feels great in the hand, and the tapered plates deliver hyper-precise straightening. Testers liked the vibration option, even if they didn’t quite understand its purpose.

$234 from Amazon

$230 from Walmart

The Bio Ionic 10X Styling Iron’s plates set this tool apart from all of the other models we tested. Like the Remington iron, the Bio Ionic iron has ceramic plates that are an inch wide, but they’re slightly longer and angled at the tips, so they work even better on small sections.

Rounded plates pinpoint small sections and straighten precisely. “These plates were thin enough to get into my roots, but still fit good-size chunks of hair too,” said one tester with very thick and curly hair. The plates are 4.5 inches long and 1 inch wide, but they taper at the ends, like fingertips. So testers were able to accurately clamp strands and small sections — and they could do so safely (there’s a quarter-inch buffer zone between the heat of the plate and the edge of the tool’s housing).

The vibration mode amps up the experience. With a few extra clicks, the Bio Ionic kicks into vibration mode, which is intended to add shine and hasten treatment time. Granted, panel testers were initially confused by this option. After a little experimenting, however, several testers found that the vibration mode gave the plates a bit of leverage to glide through hair quickly and easily. Impressively, the shimmying motion didn’t cause any snagging or grabbing. In fact, several testers noted that the Bio Ionic tool provided a satisfying finish in far fewer passes than it took most other contenders, including the GHD Chronos (which has a similarly luxe feel).

This tool is a pleasure to use. The Bio Ionic tool’s matte-black plastic casing feels luxe, and it seemed to provide a bit more heat protection than the exterior coatings on the other contenders. By contrast, a few testers found the BabylissPro Prima’s metal casing too hot to handle confidently without wearing a protective glove. Overwhelmingly, testers appreciated that the instructions were printed in a small font just above the control buttons (and, frankly, the vibration-mode option would be an utter mystery without the handy how-to).

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It’s expensive. The Bio Ionic 10X Styling Iron’s gently contoured handle and vibration mode are definite upgrades. But after testers found out how much this tool cost, many weren’t sure that the extras justified spending $200 more than the price of the Remington iron.

The matte finish gets schmutzy. When it was new, the matte-black tool had a luxe, peau de soie texture. Yet after multiple uses — especially when heat protectants and styling products were involved — the tool’s exterior surface was prone to stubborn, greasy fingerprints. (They did fade with some rubbing.)

Specs

Heat range: 280 °F to 450 °F, 10 settings

Cord length: 9 feet, swivel base

Auto-off feature: yes

Dual voltage: yes

Top pick

Best multitasker

BabylissPro Nano Titanium Prima Styling Iron

This stainless steel iron gets very hot, with frictionless titanium plates that straighten hair or create waves and curls. It could be a bit too much tool for those with shorter hair, though.

$180 from Amazon

$240 from Walmart

$240 from Ulta

With a top temperature of 465 °F, the BabylissPro Nano Titanium Prima Styling Iron got hotter than any of the other irons we tried. Everything about it feels sturdy and substantial — from the stainless steel housing to the 13-inch profile and thick, cloth-wrapped cord. Testers were impressed with the iron’s ability to deliver both a satin smoothness and beachy waves. For those with short or thin hair, though, the iron was a little too much to handle.

It gets extremely hot. The Prima’s highest setting is 465 °F, which is more than 15 degrees hotter than the upper limits of our other picks. While experts generally do not suggest straightening at such a high temperature, thick, curly, or textured hair may call for it. In fact, a few of our testers with curls and coils (think 3B and up) appreciated the tool’s oomph, since it allowed them to work quickly and straighten sections in one pass. “It had me a little scared at first,” one tester admitted. “It felt crazy-powerful but effective.” Of the tools’ five settings, the next lowest is 410 °F, and testers wished there were an in-between option. With a max temperature of 455 °F, the Conair infinitiPro was the next-hottest option we tried, but the heat dial was trickier to fine-tune than the Prima’s.

This tool curls as well as straightens. With a near-cylindrical shape and a stainless steel casing that also gets pretty darn hot, the Prima capably switch-hits as a curling iron. “I used to think that styling curtain bangs with a straightener was a scam, but this proved me wrong,” one tester said. “It’s definitely hotter to touch than the others, but that makes for great beach waves.” Every other iron we considered had at least a small buffer space between the edge of the heated plates and the edge of the housing. But this model’s titanium plates reach all the way to the edges, and they’re beveled with a ⅛-inch curve, so you use them to create waves or loose curls with a twist of the wrist (though this curling technique takes practice).

Heat protection is included. Considering how toasty this tool gets, it’s wisely packaged with a three-fingered felt mitt, which fits both righties and lefties. Plus, for even more protection, the handle and plate tips have silicone finger grips.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The BabylissPro Nano Titanium Prima Styling Iron is big and heavy. Stem to stern, this tool is 13 inches long (it’s 2 inches longer than the Remington iron). And at 14 ounces, it has a substantial heft that’s in line with its price tag. That said, due to its size, a few testers with chin-length and shorter hair said it felt awkward and cumbersome to use. Another panelist worried that frequent lifting and grasping would inflame her carpal tunnel syndrome. Those with long hair, however, appreciated the Prima tool’s glide: “This feels like an extension of my hand, so the maneuverability is great,” one panelist noted.

The lock is finicky. The lock switch is located on the handle — right where several testers’ index fingers landed when they gripped the tool. Some found it annoyingly easy to accidentally engage the lock. Practice — and active awareness of your grip — may be required.

Specs

Heat range: 300 °F to 465 °F, five settings

Cord length: 9 feet, swivel base

Auto-off feature: no

Dual-voltage: yes

I’ve been reporting stories about beauty for more than 25 years. While working for several lifestyle magazines, I’ve written many “best of beauty” roundups that reflected the real-life needs and feedback of readers. I’ve interviewed dozens of hairstylists and dermatologists. And I’ve delved into hundreds of academic articles about skin care, hair care, ingredients, and efficacy. I consider myself an excellent judge of products and the experiences they offer.

Although I wish I had the energy to mimic my 15-year-old’s hour-long GRWM routine, my own regimen is streamlined and simple: When it comes to my hair, I am “high-maintenance to be low-maintenance.” I get a keratin treatment for my chin-length bob about three times a year, and I wash my hair once a week (whether I need it or not!). The keratin treatment makes my strands dry very straight, but when the results start to fade, a flat iron is essentially my favorite tool: I use it religiously to transform my thick, wavy hair — with a preponderance of wiry grays — into sleek, shiny strands. (This is an exaggeration, but only kind of: A flat iron takes my hair from looking like steel wool to liquid mercury.) When I add a step or a product to my minimalist routine, I want it to be easy, enjoyable, and effective. And flat-ironing my dry hair definitely ticks those boxes.

Like all Wirecutter journalists, I review and test products with complete editorial independence. I’m never made aware of any business implications of my editorial recommendations. Read more about our editorial standards.

A flat iron typically consists of two hot metal plates (though we did test an option with four smaller plates), and it’s like a set of tongs that you slide over sections of hair. In part, these tools work by steaming any residual moisture out of dry hair. Heat also breaks the strands’ hydrogen bonds, so you can manipulate hair into different shapes (pressing it straighter with a flat iron or waving it with a curling iron). As hair cools, the hydrogen bonds re-form, locking in the look. A flat iron makes hair shiny and smooth by pressing down frayed cuticles, which can make strands frizzy and appear dull. Water, sweat, and humidity in the air can break those bonds, returning your hair to its default texture.

This is an update of a guide that Wirecutter originally published in 2016. Since then, the options for flat irons have expanded, but “the structure of hair stands hasn’t changed,” said Trefor Evans, a chemist and researcher with TRI Princeton, a not-for-profit institute that focuses on testing and developing personal-care products.

During my initial research for this update, I interviewed a chemist and hair researcher (Evans), a dermatologist who focuses on hair loss, and two hairstylists. I read several academic papers about the structure of hair. And I consulted with dozens of colleagues to find out which hair straighteners have delivered the best results — often over the course of several years — for their various curl types and hair lengths. I also scoped Sephora, Ulta, Target, CVS, and Amazon, and I dove deep into online reviews, looking for products that maintained high star ratings over hundreds (or, better yet, thousands) of reviews.

As we did for our original guide, for this guide we disregarded marketing claims about ionic charges, diamond finishes, and plate composition, because hairstylists pointed out that such features all have positive attributes. And sure enough, in testing, we considered irons that had titanium, ceramic, and tourmaline plates, and we didn’t find that one type outperformed any other type. We looked for irons that offered a good range of heat settings, with sweet spots in the high–200 °F–to–low–400 °F range (though we did test the GHD Chronos, which has a single heat setting of 365 °F).

Although we tried two models that had damp-to-straight settings, we predominantly considered tools that are used on dry hair, since the experts pointed out how damaging high heat can be on wet strands (though one wet-to-straight option we tested had a lowly max temp of 285 °F).

The hottest model we tested was the BabylissPro Prima, with a spicy
465° F setting. (Some experts I spoke to suggested not going higher
than 420° F, but they also acknowledged that tighter curls may require higher heat. Ultimately, ideal flat-iron temperatures can vary from person to person and even section to section on one person’s head.)

From a primary list of 45 tools, I arrived at a group of 19 that I personally tested on my chin-length bob. Every four months, I usually get in-salon keratin straightening for my naturally 2A-2B hair, but I skipped treatments while I was judging these irons. I also recruited four colleagues, with hair of various lengths and textures, to help with an initial assessment round. That testing period lasted for three weeks, and people tried the irons on freshly washed and a-few-days-dirty hair, on bleached or otherwise color-treated and virgin hair, and with and without heat protectant. From there, I culled the contenders to a list of six tools for further trials by Wirecutter’s paid testers along with staffers. In all, 21 people tested the irons, and their hair types ranged from 1C (quite straight, with a tiny bit of wave) to 4B (very curly and tightly coiled). Although I left the brand names visible to testers, I didn’t reveal the prices until testing was complete.

Testers evaluated the straightening irons using the following criteria:

• Straightening power: More than anything, we considered how effectively and efficiently a tool actually straightened strands. We looked for devices that slid easily through hair without snagging, pulling, or crimping. It was crucial that the irons left hair of varying curl types feeling sleek, smooth, and reflective — not fried, frayed, or flayed.
• Comfort and usability: We looked for irons that were easy to hold and had intuitive interfaces with clear readouts and indicators. We prioritized options that were strong enough to work well yet light enough that they could be held in awkward positions. Using a flat iron can be a painstaking process and can require working with small sections, and some irons felt heavy and unwieldy before a full-head treatment was complete. Testers with mobility challenges, including one who has arthritis and one with carpal tunnel syndrome, specifically noted when the devices were hard to grip or maneuver.
• Precision and safety: Most of the tools we tried had plates that were about 1 inch wide by 4 inches long (the size generally recommended by the hairstylists we interviewed). Even so, some contenders were much better at accessing our “kitchens” and smaller sections around our hairlines.
• Extras: We noted when a tool had an automatic shutoff, a lock, and small touches like Velcro for corralling long cords.

The BabylissPro Nano Titanium Ionic Straightening Iron had some of the attributes we loved in our multitasking pick, the BabylissPro Nano Titanium Prima, including sleek, fast-heating plates and an intuitive interface. That said, it tended to leave hair straight but not silky. And its boxy silhouette got uncomfortably hot, so it sometimes felt uncomfortable — especially when we were working close to our roots. It also lacks an automatic-off function, and the power switch requires concerted engagement to ensure it is turned off. We were perplexed by the BabylissPro Nano Titanium Vented, which we tried on damp and dry hair. It definitely straightened hair, but it also left it feeling dry and lifeless. For just about $10 more, our Prima pick was a significant upgrade.

Several staffers remembered the CHI G2 as their first hair-tool love (one tester accidentally left hers at a hotel years ago, and she said she mourns it like an old flame that got away). It is indeed straightforward and user-friendly, but we preferred the CHI Lava’s slightly sleeker silhouette. Panel testers appreciated how quickly and easily it glided through hair: “It was hot enough to straighten my super coily hair,” one tester said. Ultimately, it was edged out by our Remington pick.

The Conair InfinitiPro Tourmaline Ceramic was a runner-up pick in the previous version of this guide, and it’s still a solid, affordable option. However, at 4.75 inches, the plates are uncomfortably long (and not tapered, like the Bio Ionic 10X’s plates are), and their tension tended to cause crimps. The tiny heat-adjusting dial, which manually clicks from 1 to 30, seemed chintzy, and we preferred the digital screen — and exact temperature readout — of our Remington pick.

Overall, the Drybar Reserve Dual Plate Hair Straightener, with its four mini plates, struck us as gimmicky and very challenging to use. The plates can be set to different temperatures, but even with the instructions right in front of us, we found it impossible to tell which plates were hottest.

During testing, no tool turned our heads — and broke our hearts — more than the Dyson Airstrait Wet-to-Dry Straightener. Many Wirecutter staffers swear by their Dyson Supersonic Dryers and Airwraps, and they clambered to get their mitts on the Airstrait. But most testers disliked the clunkiness and weight (the cord and transformer chomped up space in small bathrooms). Although it worked very well at taking fine hair from wet to dry, testers with curly hair reported deep disappointment. And in one notable case, a tester with 4A and color-treated hair seemingly experienced lasting heat damage.

The FHI Heat Platform and FHI Heat Platform Plus were good but not great (especially considering their price tags). Their dials are inside the clamping parts, with temperatures printed so small that they were challenging to read. The FHI Heat Platform Signature, meanwhile, had a nice, clear digital heat display. Fingers nestled easily in the slightly contoured handle, and the tool was the most comfortable to grip. Alas, it repeatedly snagged hair — even in small sections and even when strands were saturated with heat protectant.

Across the board, testers truly loved how the GHD Chronos handled: It’s lightweight but responsive, and it opens, closes, and clamps easily. Testers applauded little grace notes, like the silicone storage sleeve, the on/off chime, and the illuminated base that lets you know — even if you’re across the room — whether you remembered to turn it off. As far as performance goes, the Chronos was polarizing: It has just one heat setting (365 °F), which testers with generally straight or slightly wavy hair liked, but those with curly hair found it laughably insufficient.

The GVP Ceramic Titanium Digital Flat Iron was a pick in the previous version of this guide, and our testers still regarded it as a good basic tool that effectively straightened hair of varying thicknesses. But it required more passes than other contenders, and some testers with curly hair found that their strands came out straight yet not as sleek or silky as they wanted. Most panelists much preferred our Remington pick.

We were stymied by the Hot Tools Pro Artists Gold Evolve Ionic’s cylindrical design and interface: You twist the end of the iron to adjust the heat, and several testers accidentally changed the temperature setting as they moved it along their strands. The barrel also feels big and clumsy, and despite having a rounded silhouette, it doesn’t readily create waves or gentle curls. For that kind of switch-hitting, panelists much preferred the BabylissPro Nano Titanium Prima.

The Paul Mitchell Neuro Sleek Titanium feels great in the hand, and while it’s a solid flat iron, it’s not exceptional. The temperature display is confusing, with five unlabeled, illuminated dots and then a button for 450 °F. This model usually costs about $150, and it did not have the wow factor to justify the cost.

Among the contenders for this update, the Rusk W8less Professional Ceramic and Tourmaline Str8 Iron, a previous pick, left a lot to be desired. As with the Conair iron, this tool has an imprecise manual dial, with numeric (1 to 50) rather than thermal demarcations. Also, the tool itself feels cheap and clacky for something that costs almost $100.

The T3 Lucea Professional Straightening Iron is a chic, effective straightener, but it’s overshadowed by design flaws: Setting the temperature is not intuitive (instead of numbers, there’s a series of lit dots to indicate the heat). Worse yet, some testers noted that when they grasped the tool, the power button was right under the heel of their palm, and that meant they inadvertently turned it off several times while using it.

This article was edited by Hannah Morrill and Jennifer G. Sullivan. Hannah Waters wrote an earlier version of this article.